#4358554 - 05/21/1701:47 PMOT: An original M1917 US Brodie helmet is heading my way
Joined: May 2012 Posts: 4,879RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4,879
L'Etoile du Nord
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Greetings All,
As some of you know, I've been collecting WWI militariana for quite some time, and while most of it focuses on aviation-related paraphernalia and 1st edition books I also have the odd general Great War items as well. One such item that I've been searching for over time is a solid, original M1917 US "Brodie" or "Doughboy" helmet as it is one of THE iconic images from WWI. At first I thought I might find a good original shell and do a restoration on it, but as that can cost upwards of $120 to do a proper job I decided instead to invest that money in a nice original, provided I could find one I liked in that price range. I have looked at hundreds over the last year or so, both online and in antique and 2nd hand shops, but have failed to find "the one". As a rule, if I found a potential candidate for a C-note or less it was in fairly rough shape with the liner being anywhere from tatty to gone altogether and the shell being rusted and/or repainted. What I was after was one with its original textured finish on the outside and a clean, solid original liner on the inside, but when I ran across such an example it was invariably priced far higher than what I was willing to pay. But this week - ah, this week - I found that most holy grail that I'd been seeking. A fellow online was selling one in my price range that had been in his own collection for the past 45 years. He informed me that it had come from the estate of a Michigan veteran who had served "over there" in the Great War, and that the helmet in question was indeed all original and very clean. From the photos he provided it looked to be all that and more. The production code stamped into the brim is "187 ZD" which, from my research, indicates it was made some time in early-to-mid 1918. Further, the maker's mark on the liner is for the Leatherwear Company of America located at 561-563 Broadway, and this coincides precisely with the shell stamping as the aforementioned company moved to that address in January of 1918 in order to fulfill a government contract for helmet liners. Add to this the veteran who purportedly wore this helmet was from Michigan which means in all likelihood he was with the 32nd "Red Arrow" Division, the bulk of which was sent to France in February and March of 1918. All the stars aligned.
I am now waiting anxiously for the helmet to arrive so that I might inspect it in person and see if it is truly as fantastic as the pictures provided make it look. I am posting just a couple of those many pictures here and rest assured I will post more of my own as soon as I have the item in my trembling hands.
Oh the sweet, sweet anticipation. Cheers All!
Lou
Three RFC Brass Hats were strolling down a street in London. Two walked into a bar, the third one ducked. _________________________________________________________________________
Former Cold War Warrior, USAF Security Service 1974-1978, E-4, Morse Systems Intercept, England, Europe, and points above. "pippy-pahpah-pippy pah-pip-pah"
#4358561 - 05/21/1703:11 PMRe: OT: An original M1917 US Brodie helmet is heading my way
[Re: RAF_Louvert]
Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 3,704Rick_Rawlings
Senior Member
Congratulations, Lou! I hope it is everything as advertised! It's definitely going to be in good hands!
Robert, don't you mean on good head?
Congrats Lou on a great find. It almost looks too good to be true and a holy grail to boot. My wife collects Hermes scarves and anything else she can get her hands on that luxury brand. She has a whole list of holy grails, which to me seems odd. One thing Indiana Jones taught me is that there is only one grail. Anyways, apart from being able to distinguish between a Birkin and a Kelly she also introduced me to other collector terms, such as "albatross": a grail that you finally get, but are disappointed with because it falls short of your expectations. Another term is "scrubber": that's the one that you hate once you get. Apparently it comes from the experience of trying on perfumes. They spray it on you, it stinks and you want to scrub it off. Hope yours is a true grail.
"Take the cylinder out of my kidneys, The connecting rod out of my brain, my brain, From out of my arse take the camshaft, And assemble the engine again."
#4358588 - 05/21/1707:32 PMRe: OT: An original M1917 US Brodie helmet is heading my way
[Re: RAF_Louvert]
Joined: May 2012 Posts: 997HumanDrone
Just shoot me...
Amazing! Great find, I'm happy for you. Did he actually give you the veteran's name? It'd be great to know, to keep the provenance (as it were) intact.
Good on ya! My, that really looks good.
Box: Win7 Pro 64 bit / I72600K @4.1 GHz / EVGA GTX1080Ti/ 16GB RAM / Corsair 240 GB SSD / WD 600 GB Velociraptor / 1050W Power FS Stuff: Saitek X52 Pro Stick/Throttle & Combat Rudder Pedals, TrackIR 5 Sims: FSX Gold, REX 2.0 OD, UTX-NA, FSGenesis 10m mesh/ CFS3 ETO 1.40/Wings Over Flanders Fields BH&H2 (more gorgeous than ever!) Proud BOC inductee 4/30/12!
#4358598 - 05/21/1708:20 PMRe: OT: An original M1917 US Brodie helmet is heading my way
[Re: RAF_Louvert]
Lou, that helmet is a fine addition to your militaria collection. And it will be in good hands with you as its new owner - of that I'm certain. Congrats!
The lining appears to be in particularly good shape for such an old helmet.
"Upon my word I've had as much excitement on a car as in the air, especially since the R.F.C. have had women drivers."
James McCudden, Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps
#4358602 - 05/21/1708:47 PMRe: OT: An original M1917 US Brodie helmet is heading my way
[Re: RAF_Louvert]
#4359452 - 05/25/1705:28 PMRe: OT: An original M1917 US Brodie helmet is heading my way
[Re: RAF_Louvert]
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 157RAF28Jenks
Barmy Aviator Ordinaire'
RAF28Jenks
Barmy Aviator Ordinaire'
Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 157
Kentucky
Great find Lou!
I've only a few things but am looking to expand my collection eventually. Lots of other things to finance/pay off first, but looking forward to the scouring process!
RAF28Jenks
RBWL 3 - 2002
#4359495 - 05/25/1710:42 PMRe: OT: An original M1917 US Brodie helmet is heading my way
[Re: RAF_Louvert]